Tandoori cauliflower With mint yoghurt and lentils
High-heat roasted cauliflower with a tangy, warmly spiced yoghurt coating, served with cumin-seasoned lentils and cooling mint yoghurt. Allow about 1 hour.
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Servings
Originally developed for 4 servings.
Ingredient checklist
Method
- No timer needed
Heat the oven to 240°C conventional / 220°C fan, with shelves in the upper and lower thirds. Set out two shallow metal roasting trays. While the oven heats, cut the cauliflower into 4–5 cm florets and slice thick stalk sections 1 cm thick. Wash and dry thoroughly. Dice the onion, grate the ginger and garlic, keeping the coating and lentil quantities separate, then drain and rinse the lentils.
- No timer needed
In the large bowl, mix 150 g yoghurt with the 30 ml roasting oil, 15 g ginger, 2 garlic cloves, garam masala, paprika, ground cumin, turmeric, chilli powder, 15 ml lemon juice and 5 g salt. Fold in the dried cauliflower until thinly and evenly coated, scraping the bowl well. No marinating is required.
- 15:00
Spread the cauliflower between the trays in a single layer with gaps, placing broad cut surfaces against the metal. Roast for 25–35 minutes, turning the pieces and swapping the trays between shelves after 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the yoghurt and lentils below. The cauliflower is ready when a knife slides easily into the thickest stalk and the coating is set with dark brown edges. If the spices darken before the stalks soften, reduce the oven to 220°C conventional / 200°C fan and cook for another 5–10 minutes as needed.
- No timer needed
While the cauliflower roasts, wash and dry the mint, reserve a few leaves for garnish and finely chop the rest. Mix the chopped mint with the remaining 250 g yoghurt, 10 ml lemon juice and 1 g salt. Refrigerate until serving.
- 09:00
Heat the 15 ml lentil oil in the saucepan over a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 30 seconds without blackening. Add the onion and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until softened and beginning to colour. Stir in the remaining 5 g ginger and 1 garlic clove and cook for 1 minute.
- 07:00
Add the drained lentils and 100 ml water. Bring to a simmer; while they heat, turn and swap the cauliflower trays if due. Simmer the lentils uncovered for 6–8 minutes, stirring gently, until steaming hot and moist without a pool of liquid. Add water 15 ml at a time if they catch, or simmer a little longer if too wet. Stir in 10 ml lemon juice, taste and add up to 2 g salt. Cover off the heat if ready before the cauliflower.
- No timer needed
Check that the cauliflower stalks are tender, then remove the trays from the oven. Divide the hot lentils between four plates and add the cauliflower. Spoon the cold mint yoghurt alongside, rather than over every browned edge, and garnish with the reserved mint leaves. Serve immediately.
Chef tips
- The schedule assumes both trays fit in the oven together. If only one fits, roast in two batches, allowing another 25–35 minutes, and coat the second batch shortly before roasting.
- Wet florets, thin yoghurt and crowded trays encourage steaming. Dry the cauliflower thoroughly and leave visible gaps between pieces.
- If liquid pools on a tray, spread the pieces apart and continue roasting uncovered. Do not add more yoghurt to the coating.
- Use shallow metal trays rather than deep roasting tins. Avoid lining them unless the liner is rated for the stated oven temperature.
- Stir the lentils gently so they retain their shape; their final texture should be moist, not soupy.
Equipment check
- Two shallow metal roasting trays, approximately 30 × 40 cm each
- Oven with space for both trays and airflow around them
- Wide 2–3 litre saucepan with lid
- Large mixing bowl
- Small bowl
- Colander
- Clean tea towel or kitchen paper
- Sharp knife and chopping board
- Fine grater
- Spatula or tongs
- Kitchen scales and measuring spoons
Tags
Behind the dish.
Overview
This Indian-style vegetarian main uses a hot domestic oven rather than a tandoor. The goal is tender cauliflower with browned edges and a thin, tangy spice crust, balanced by moist cumin lentils and cold mint yoghurt. Thorough drying and two uncrowded metal trays help the coating roast rather than steam. No marinating is needed.
Ingredient notes
Use thick, unsweetened, full-fat Greek-style yoghurt; pour off any loose whey. Only 150 g goes into the cauliflower coating, with the remaining 250 g reserved for serving. Sweet paprika supplies colour without extra heat; use the chilli powder to control heat. Choose an unsalted garam masala where possible, or reduce the cauliflower salt if your blend contains salt.
The lentils are ready-cooked green or brown lentils, weighed after draining, not dried lentils. Red lentils will not give the same separate texture. Contains milk; check spice-blend and tinned-lentil labels for other relevant allergens. Thick, unsweetened cultured soya yoghurt can replace the dairy yoghurt, though browning may differ; this introduces soya.
Serving & storage
The cauliflower, lentils and yoghurt make four moderate main-course portions without additional bread or rice. Spoon the yoghurt alongside the cauliflower to preserve its browned edges.
Return leftover mint yoghurt to the fridge promptly. Cool the cauliflower and lentils promptly in separate shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours at 5°C or colder. Use refrigerated leftovers within 48 hours or freeze the cooked components sooner. Thaw in the fridge and reheat only once until steaming hot throughout; keep the yoghurt cold.
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